Dyeing of fabric blends such as Polyester/Cotton (P/C) is presently done with two chemically different classes of dyes namely disperse for polyester and reactive for cotton, in two bath process. Experimental work was carried out on finding the possibility of dyeing the P/C blends in one bath process without drain the liquor after polyester part dyeing. All the existing chemical and conventional temperature range were applied in this study. The result indicates that, the using of one bath method in the polyester cotton dyeing can slightly change the fastness properties than the conventional method. The one bath dyeing method showed level dyeing having good fastness properties and offers the option of cost effective and ecofriendly dyeing process.

1. IOSR Journal of Polymer and Textile Engineering (IOSR-JPTE)
e-ISSN: 2348-019X, p-ISSN: 2348-0181, Volume 2, Issue 3 (May - Jun. 2015), PP 12-16
www.iosrjournals.org
DOI: 10.9790/019X-0231216 www.iosrjournals.org 12 | Page
Scope of Dyeing Polyester Cotton (PC) Blended Fabric in Single
Bath Process for Water, Energy and Time Saving.
Forkan Sarker1
, Ripon Kumar Prasad2
, Md. Ramij Howlader3
, Nafis Abir3
,
Nurunnabi4
, Rozina Akter4
1
(Assistant Professor, Department of Textile Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology,
Bangladesh)
2
(Lecturer, Department of Apparel Manufacturing & Technology, BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology,
Bangladesh)
3
(Lecturer, Department of Textile Engineering, BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology, Bangladesh)
3
(Lecturer, Department of Textile Engineering, BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology, Bangladesh)
4
(Lecturer, Department of Textile Engineering, City University, Bangladesh)
4
(Lecturer, Department of Apparel Manufacturing Technology, BGIFT Institute of Science & Technology,
Bangladesh)
Abstract: Dyeing of fabric blends such as Polyester/Cotton (P/C) is presently done with two
chemically different classes of dyes namely disperse for polyester and reactive for cotton, in
two bath process. Experimental work was carried out on finding the possibility of dyeing the
P/C blends in one bath process without drain the liquor after polyester part dyeing. All the
existing chemical and conventional temperature range were applied in this study. The result
indicates that, the using of one bath method in the polyester cotton dyeing can slightly change
the fastness properties than the conventional method. The one bath dyeing method showed
level dyeing having good fastness properties and offers the option of cost effective and eco-
friendly dyeing process.
Keywords – PC blend fabric, Single bath dyeing, Shade matching, Color fastness, Cost effective.
I. Introduction
In textile industry polyester / cotton (P/C) blends have dominant market share having share of
58.45% in worldwide - market. These blends are famous due to their aesthetic value and user
friendly performance. Limitations of both fibers are balanced adequately by blending these
two fibers making perfect blend. However, the P/C blends posses some challenges to dyer as
polyester shows a hydrophobic character while cotton shows a hydrophilic character making
it inevitable to dye them with chemically different class of dyes. The conventional method of
exhaust dyeing for P/C blends is to dye each component separately under its optimum
conditions, i.e. in a two-bath process. To address the issue of productivity and raising
environmental concerns, several attempts have been made in the past to shorten this to one-
bath processes. Various other combinations of dyes like disperse/direct and disperse/vat can
be used in single bath dyeing but, the matching of shade is quite difficult. Reactive dyes have
some significant advantages over other dyes applicable to cotton: viz., color value,
reproducibility of color, and fastness properties are usually better, and the dyeing is easier to
wash-off. The one-bath dyeing process uses a separated high-pH and low temperature
reactive fixation step after the high temperature, low pH disperse dyeing to avoid a high rate
of hydrolysis of both disperse and reactive dyes under high temperature, or high pH dyeing
environment. This process is shorter as compared to two-bath dyeing process. This one bath
method has the advantages over the conventional dyeing processes on reducing the dyeing
cycle as well as energy consumption and water consumption.

2. Scope of Dyeing Polyester Cotton (PC) Blended Fabric in Single Bath Process for Water, Energy…..
DOI: 10.9790/019X-0231216 www.iosrjournals.org 13 | Page
II. Materials
2.1 Material used
 PC blend fabric
Polyester cotton is a blended fabric made of both the artificial polyester and the natural
cotton. The blend is perfect for clothing as it brings both benefits of the two fabrics together.
The fabric thus remains lightness and coolness of the cotton and polyester gives the strength
and durability. This blend is usually comfortable by combining the natural effects of cotton
for softness and moisture adsorption with the no iron crispness of polyester. The most
common polyester cotton blend is found 65% polyester and 35% cotton, 80% cotton and 20%
polyester etc.[7]
 Disperse dye
The majority of disperse dyes are low molecular weight, non-ionic mono-azo and
anthraquinone derivatives. Polar substituent is usually present in the dye molecule so that the
dye has the slight solubility in water required for dyeing. Hydroxyethylamino groups (NH-
CH2-CH2-OH) are typical of such substituent. The interaction of such polar groups with the
water, by dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds, is crucial for water solubility. Dipole
forces and hydrogen bonds, as well as dispersion forces, also bind the dye molecules to polar
groups in the fibres.
 Reactive dye
The molecular structures of reactive dyes resemble those of acid and simple direct cotton
dyes, but with an added reactive group. Typical structures include the azo (a), anthraquinone
(b), triphenodioxazine. The key structural features of a reactive dye are the chromophoric
system, the sulphonate groups for water solubility, the reactive group, and the bridging group
that attaches the reactive group either directly to the chromophore or to some other part of the
dye molecule. The chromophoric system consist of azo, quinoid carbonyl, nitroso, nitro-
group, carbonyl, vinyl group (-N=N-, C=O, -NO, -NO2, >C=O, -C=C-) etc unsaturated
group. Each of these structural features can influence the dyeing and fastness properties.
Most commercial ranges of reactive dyes have a complete gamut of colors, many of which
are particularly bright. Reactive dyes often have quite simple structures that can be
synthesised with a minimum of colored isomers and bi products that tend to dull the shade of
the more complex polyazo direct dyes. Some colors are difficult to obtain with simple
chromophores. Dark blue and navy reactive dyes are often rather dull copper complexes of
azo dyes and the production of bright green reactive dyes remains a problem.[1]
 Anti creasing agent
 Detergent
 Sequestering agent
 Antifoaming agent
 Stabilizer
 Hydrogen peroxide
 Peroxide killer
 Enzyme
 Buffer solution
 Dispersing agent
 Leveling agent
 Softener
 Gluber salt
 Soda ash
 Acetic acid

3. Scope of Dyeing Polyester Cotton (PC) Blended Fabric in Single Bath Process for Water, Energy…..
DOI: 10.9790/019X-0231216 www.iosrjournals.org 14 | Page
III. Different Process/Method
3.1 Scouring & bleaching combined process
Scouring is performed to remove any impurities present in the fabric. The impurities (i.e. oil & wax,
lubricants, dirt, surfactants, residual tints) are removed using an alkaline solution, typically sodium hydroxide, at
high temperatures to breakdown or emulsify and saponify impurities. Bleaching is done to remove natural color
from the fibre. Natural color is removed from the fibre by using hydrogen peroxide with stabilizer. Hydrogen
peroxide produce perhydroxil ion which can remove the natural color from fibre.
Recipe:
Fino wet-OSR (Detergent) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Altaslow -ZET : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Albafluid C (Anti-creasing) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Arboquest 340 (Sequestering) : 0.5 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Caustic soda : 5 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Hydrogen peroxide : 2.5 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Stabilizer : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Time : 60 min
Temperature : 980
C
Drain
Hot wash
Peroxide killer : 0.5 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Time : 10 min
Temperature : 800
C
Drain
Neutralization
Acetic acid : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Time : 10 min
Temperature : 600
C
Drain
3.2 Enzyme biopolishing, Polyester Cotton Dyeing Single bath dyeing
Place illustrations the gray PC blended fabric has been subjected to enzyme to remove the fuzzy or
projecting fibre from the fabric. After enzyme biopolishing polyester part of PC blend fabric is dyeing with
disperse dye at 1300
C by the help of dispersing agent in the same bath without drain the liquor. In the time of
polyester part dyeing 95% of disperse dyestuff exhausted by the polyester part. After that in the same bath
reactive dyes can be applied to the cotton part in the same bath without drain the liquor. In reactive dyeing
absorption was carried out by the gluber salt and migration was done at 600
C for 30 min. Finally soda ash was
dosed at 600
C for 30 min for fixation. Then dyed sample were neutralized, hot washed and cold washed.
Recipe
Retrocell-PLX (Enzyme) : 0.5 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Albatex AB-45 (Buffer) : 0.5 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Acetic acid : As required (PH
4.5) Dosing at room temperature
Time : 30 min
Temperature : 500
C
Polyester part dyeing
Terasil Red W4B5 : 0.5% Dosing at room temperature
Terasil Yellow W6G5 : 0.5% Dosing at room temperature
Suprapole HPE (Dispersing) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Arboquest 340 (Sequester) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Time : 30 min
Temperature : 1300
C
Cotton Part Dyeing
Novacron Red FN-2BL : 0.5% Dosing at room temperature
Novacron Yellow FN-2R : 0.5% Dosing at room temperature
Texpart GL500 (Anticreasing) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Arboquest 340 (Sequester) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Albatex DBC (Levelling) : For PH
6 Dosing at room temperature
Acetic acid : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Gluber’s Salt : 20 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Temperature : 600
C
Time : 30 min
Soda ash : 5 gm/L Dosing at 600
C temperature
Time : 30 min
Temperature : 600
C
Soaping
Seloson NOS (Detergent) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Acetic acid : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature

4. Scope of Dyeing Polyester Cotton (PC) Blended Fabric in Single Bath Process for Water, Energy…..
DOI: 10.9790/019X-0231216 www.iosrjournals.org 15 | Page
Temperature : 900
C
Time : 10 min
Softening
Satamine DWS (Softener) : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Acetic acid : 1 gm/L Dosing at room temperature
Temperature : 800
C
Time : 10 min
3.3 Testing of Color Fastness to Wash
The resistance of a material to change in any of its color characteristics, when subjected to washing is called
color fastness to wash. If dye molecules have not penetrated inside the polymer chain of fiber or have not
attached to the fiber with strong attractive force, poor wash fastness results. Color fastness to wash of this
sample has been done by following the method ISO 105 C03. This process is carried out in a stainless steel
container putting on a Wash-wheel with a thermostatically controlled water bath and rating speed of 40±2 rpm.
SDC multifibre DW is used to measure the color staining of sample. D 65 light source is used to evaluation of
result with using color change grey scale and color staining grey scale.
3.4 Testing of Color Fastness to Rubbing
Rubbing fastness is the resistance of fading of dyed textiles when rubbed against a rough surface. This test
is designed to determine the degree of color which may be transferred from the surface of a colored fabric to a
specify test cloth for rubbing (which could be dry and wet). EN ISO 105×12 method is followed for testing
color fastness to rubbing. In this test the dyed specimens are rubbed 10 times using crockmeter which has a
weighted finger covered with piece of desized and undyed cotton cloth. For wet rubbing the cotton cloth is
wetted out by distilled water before being rubbed on the dyed sample. Evaluation has been done under D 65
light source with using color change grey scale.
3.5 Testing of Color Fastness to Perspiration
Continuous contact with the human perspiration also affects the fastness of some the dyed fabrics. In fact
the perspiration is found to be either slightly alkaline or acidic in nature. When fabric is subjected to this
alkaline or acidic perspiration continuously sometimes the tone and depth of the dyed shade gets affected. ISO
105 E02 method is followed to conducting this test in alkaline solution. SDC DW multifibre is used for
measuring color staining. Thoroughly wetting one composite specimen in the solution at pH 8 at liquor ratio
50:1 and allowing it to remaining in the solution for 30 minute at room temperature. Wiping of excess liquid
from the specimen placed it between two plates of the perspirometer under a pressure 12.5 KPa. Then the
perspirometer is placed in an oven at 37ºC for 4 hours. Evaluation is done by color change grey scale and color
staining scale in a light box under D65 light source and rated from 1 to 5.
IV. Results And Discussions
4.1 Ratting of Color Fastness to Wash
Ratting of color staining Ratting of
color changeAcetate Cotton Nylon Polyester Acrylic Wool
4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 5 4.5 4.5
4.2 Ratting of Color Fastness to Rubbing
Ratting
Dry rubbing Wet rubbing
5 4
4.3 Ratting of Color Fastness to Perspiration
Ratting of color staining Ratting of
color changeAcetate Cotton Nylon Polyester Acrylic Wool
5 4.5 5 5 4.5 4.5 4.5
V. Conclusion
P/C blend fabrics were successfully dyed by one-bath one-step dyeing process. This process was not
cumbersome as other process because here all the existing chemicals were used which has not needed any
special requirements. The novelty of undertake study is successful by maintaining the right process with the
existing dyes and chemicals as is to give complete shade gamut, which will open up new avenues to dyeing
factory owner to cater to the blend dyeing needs of the textile processors. The work is based on the well
established process of dyeing however will emerge in readymade dyes as option to dyers to get rid of

5. Scope of Dyeing Polyester Cotton (PC) Blended Fabric in Single Bath Process for Water, Energy…..
DOI: 10.9790/019X-0231216 www.iosrjournals.org 16 | Page
cumbersome shade matching at their end. Also, this one-bath one-step dyeing process has potential in offering
savings in time, energy, water and labor. This research work demonstrates the specific possibility of a
commercially acceptable dyeing process for P/C blend using one bath method.
Acknowledgement
At first the author would like to express his heart-felt thanks to Almighty God for his kind blessing for
completion of his project work successfully. The author like to express my sincerest gratuity to his respectable
supervising teacher Abdul Hannan, Associate Professor, Department of Textile Engineering, DUET, for his kind
and valuable guidance, suggestion, encouragement. He never felt boring as the author have wasted his valuable
time and had done constructive criticism throughout the project work. The author is very great full to express
his deep feelings & heartfelt thanks to co-supervisor Forkan Sarker, Assistant Professor, Department of Textile
Engineering, DUET. The author intended to him for his valuable aid, proper guidance, superintend,
encouragement and concrete help during project work period. His thoughtful evidence, untiring efforts make
possible for author to get information from different organization. He guided the author like a family member
and again inquires the author to project work procedure and gave the author tips for gathering knowledge and
information from the factory. The author is really great full to Md. Sazzad Hossain, Dyeing Manager, Fakir Knit
Apparels Ltd. to allow and support me for doing this work in his factory.
Finally, the author would like to thank the people, who have made a significant contribution to make
this report. Their guidelines, suggestions for performing this difficult task & inspiration helped me a lot.
Reference
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